The MLB non-waiver trade deadline has officially passed. Many had thought that the Philadelphia Phillieswere going to make at least one move. It seemed as if third baseman Michael Young was going to be changing uniforms. Instead, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. had decided to stay quiet and keep this 2013 Phillies squad intact. Everyone, especially the fans of Philadelphia, are surprised.

The Phillies are experiencing one of their worst seasons over the last couple of years. They are in third place in the NL East and are 11.5 games back. It seems that they are out of playoff contention at this point of the season.

The Phillies are an older team. They have veterans such as Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Chase Utley, Young, etc. These players have contributed to the Phillies but as they continue to get older, they will be slowing down. They have also experienced injuries which have landed them on the DL. Who knows how much longer they will be able to continue their careers?

Philadelphia should be focusing on the future of their team and rebuilding. That is what most thought would be the case over the last couple of days. Instead, nothing happened. It is the first time in five years that Amaro did not make a move at the deadline. Usually, the Phillies are closer in the playoff standings and end up acquiring a player that could help their lineup.

This year, they could have sold players and received prospects to help down the road. It never hurts to start rebuilding early to be that much closer to becoming a playoff team again.

They will have a long off season ahead of them and a lot of decisions to make. Hopefully changes will be made and rebuilding will begin as soon as possible.